Best of Arlington: Town Talk Foods

When it comes to shopping, I love a good treasure hunt. 

Sure, I can appreciate walking into a typical grocery store and knowing exactly where each product I need is and grabbing it, paying for it and enjoying it. There is definitely something to be said for simplicity and ease.

But I also love the thrill of finding a good deal and seeing how many unique finds I can haul home and prepare for my family. And how inexpensively I can compile a delicious meal for the dinner table.

This, friends, is where Town Talk comes in to this conversation!

Town Talks Foods has been a Fort Worth staple since 1954. In June, Town Talk came to Arlington, debuting a location by Arlington-based owner Tom Brown, who took over Town Talk in 2013. Arlington's location is at 2320 S. Collins Street, at the intersection of Collins and Arkansas. 

I got to meet with Tom, the owner, this past Monday, and talk to him about opening Town Talk in Arlington. First off, Tom was born and raised in Arlington, and opening a location locally was really a long-term goal realized for him! Hearing him talk about his store was incredible- he's so passionate! 

If you haven't been by yet, you are most certainly missing out!

I admit, I didn't really know what a salvage grocery store was during my first visit. I wandered the aisles, eyeing lots of foods I had never heard of before. Many packages were past their sell-by dates. Some prices were good. Some were really, really good. The store was organized in a similar way to a regular store, but there was no guarantee of what was on the shelves. There was no guarantee that a specific item I needed would be on the shelf at any given time.

What blew my mind, though, about Town Talk, was the fact that they work with plethora of different vendors, purchasing close outs or quick sale items at deeply discounted prices so they can pass the savings on to consumers. Food waste in the US is something you hear about semi-regularly but you (or I, at least) don't necessarily give much thought to. Town Talk is able to snap up a lot of items that might otherwise go to waste and bring them to us. On this last trip I made, I purchased plant-based frozen meals I normally pay $5 for at Sprouts for $2. I purchased Annie's pizza bagels, my girls' favorite, for $2 (they are normally at least $4 at typical grocery stores). I grabbed grapes at two full bags for $1! My $100 haul from Town Talk looks very, very different from my $100 haul from Target or Kroger.

I also learned that Town Talk has a lot of items from restaurants that were not going to be used. While Town Talk can't advertise these items as "excessive fries from XXX," that's exactly what they have bundled in the freezer section, ready for your air fryer or deep fryer. They get meat and sides from a variety of restaurants you probably eat at regularly (because I do!) that weren't sent to stores for this reason or that. So now you can purchase them, at a fraction of the cost, and prepare them at home. Score! 

I've seen some negative chatter on local Facebook groups about food past its best by date and salvage grocery stores, so I discussed this with Tom. I admit, I tend to steer clear of items that are too far past best by dates. I'm fine going back a few months (I have purchased chips that are two months gone and frozen pizzas a month or two out), but I get leery going more than about six months past, especially depending on the nature of the item. If you, like me, get nervous about food past it's Best By date, here is an article that really opened my eyes: Food Expiration Dates. Another bit of info that blew my mind- do you know how much grocery stores pay each month to dump food that can no longer be sold? Y'all... These statistics are nuts. Town Talk alone pays about $4,000 per month to dump food that can no longer be sold. Can you imagine what a monthly bill must be for a mega store such as Walmart or Kroger?

Town Talk is truly a gem of a store that we are lucky to have here in Arlington. Not only is it owned by a local resident, it provides inexpensive food to families from all walks of life. Tom gives tours of the store every Thursday at 10, and he loves what he does. Stop in and visit with him during that regular meet up, or call him up and request a tour any time. He will tell you all about this great store and the suppliers from whom he gets his products. I love hearing from business owners who are passionate about their businesses!

Have you been to Town Talk? I'd love to hear about the steals and deals you've found there in the comments!